Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Illinois Chapter held a grand opening of its new apprenticeship lab in Elk Grove Village, Ill. The new facility will greatly increase flexibility for ABC’s hands-on training programs and will house carpentry, HVAC and plumbing apprenticeship labs, while electrical apprentices will remain in ABC’s existing Elk Grove Village facility.

ABC Illinois Chapter is currently accepting enrollment applications for the fall semester beginning the week of Aug. 22. Information on the programs offered and the enrollment process can be found on www.LearnYourTrade.com.

ABC Illinois Chapter’s apprenticeship enrollment has grown from 89 apprentices in 2010 to 243 in 2015, more than half of which are enrolled through ABC’s Elk Grove Village office.

“Nationwide, more than four in five ABC members report a shortage of appropriately skilled labor despite an annual investment of more than $1.1 billion in workforce development,” stated Alicia Martin, president of Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.